Update: See my series on the College Hill neighborhood around the church. Update: See historic photos of the interior here. As of 2024, the church has been hit badly by vandals and scrappers.
For my weekly column at St. Louis Magazine, I wrote about the rich architectural history of the former Most Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church in the College Hill neighborhood of North St. Louis. Here are some additional details of the stunning facade of the church.
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Here is the rectory, which is an interesting composition to go along with the more ornate church.
Are there no photos of The Most Holy Name of Jesus Church when it. was a Catholic Church? All of the photos I see are since it was sold and destroyed. The Huge Crucifix in top of Church is gone as are the four large angels on the front steps gone. The inside is completely destroyed. To show this as The Most Holy Name of Jesus Church is deceptive. Pictures of the inside show complete destruction. Surely, there must be photos someplace of what this Church once was.
I will look into it!
I’m not sure of when this photo is from, but there is a photo of the interior intact in your STL Mag article:
https://www.stlmag.com/history/architecture/when-in-rome-Most-Holy-Name-of-Jesus/
My father & grandparents attended this church in the 50s when they lived on 21st street.
Hi, Just curious, I attended Holy Name 1956-1965 (Bob Reuter was my classmate), then graduated from Rosati-Kain High School in ’69.
What were your father’s and grandfather’s names? I might have known them. I was baptized, made First Communion, and was confirmed here. A beautiful church and neighborhood at that time. Live in California now; both my husband and sons have visited here (we lived on Gano Ave). Still miss and love St. Louis.
Oh, do you have any Bob Reuter stories?!
Chris, I remember Bob as a calm, rather quiet “old soul” who, even as a kid, spoke with the tone and measured cadence of an elderly wise man. Who knew then how later, as an adult, he would so eloquently articulate our blue-collar north side environment and describe growing up and social change with such gritty, yet lyrical, heartbreaking style??!! I remember Bob hung out with Tom Chiapel (photographer who took the nude photos of future Miss America Vanessa Williams, I believe) throughout the Holy Name years. Tom would eventually become Bob’s bandmate in high school, I believe. I could be mistaken, but I recall Bob had these adorable suspenders that he occasionally wore with the obligatory clip-on tie (the boys were required to wear a tie to school). Don’t remember Bob ever being in trouble with the nuns–he was a good kid. His sweet cousin, Sue, was also in our class. From my birth to age 4 1/2 we lived on Lee Ave. , near Grand. Bob’s relative, Vince Clooney, lived next door to our 4-family flat. Never knew Vince’s relation to Bob or much about Vince until I read “Tales of a Talking Dog.” Thank you, Chris, for this gem of a website. I read it daily, so I can go home again, at least for a little while.